Editorial:

Judge should step aside

Facing disturbing charges, Del Vecchio should act in best interest of Family Court

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

Family Court Judge Nicholas Del Vecchio should step aside from the bench while the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline handles a series of damning charges against him.

The 38-count complaint filed last week against Del Vecchio by the commission’s special prosecutor alleges a pattern of reprehensible behavior that includes the charge that he forced his 14-year-old stepdaughter to perform sexual acts on him and pose nude for photos.

The complaint paints a picture of a man who used his position on the bench to manipulate people. It alleges that since he was elected in 2000 he:

• made numerous sexually graphic comments about female attorneys, litigants and court staff, and made racial comments about court employees, including his bailiff;

• forced attorneys who practiced in front of him to buy him and his staff lunch, urged a female court employee to date certain attorneys to try to get him campaign contributions, and directed his bailiff, who worked part time for an airline, to get him free plane tickets;

• ordered his staff to watch a girlfriend’s child during work hours and directed an assistant to collect $55 from each of his employees to buy him a train for Christmas.

The complaint cites more than a dozen attorneys or staff members who were witnesses to or the subjects of Del Vecchio’s abusive behavior. The worst of the complaint details the sexual relationship he is alleged to have had with his stepdaughter.

A decade after he first forced her to perform sexual acts, the complaint says, he hired her as his assistant and then allegedly pressured her into a sexual relationship for several months by threatening her with the loss of her job if she refused.

The allegations in the complaint are sickening, but Del Vecchio has yet to present his side. He denies the charges and says he will be cleared. However, because of the despicable nature of the charges, he should step aside to protect the Family Court’s reputation. The commission, meanwhile, should move quickly to resolve the case.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

By dearme

2/19/08 at 1:13 p.m.

Suggest removal

Judge Del Vecchio told his past assistant (Ms. Murray) he would give me a hearing via telephone in the custody case of my 5 year old daughter. She was living with her siblings and I for 4 years prior to the hearing 400 miles away. Del Vecchio did not call me. My abusive EX husband(3 CPS cases against him),was granted custody through lies to the court by Del Vecchio in '03. He ignored my Constitutional rights as a custodial parent. He also granted my Ex a passport last year for my daughter who lied to obtain it. Now my daughter is in threat of an international parental abduction(her father is dual national from another country)! So I guess you can say I'd pleased if he stepped down. If I had the financial resources I would have gotten her back in Supreme court and filed for Judicial Dicipline on him for the disregard of my daughter's life being torn in two. By the way my daughter and I haven't seen each other in 4 years because Del Vecchio did not even grant me visitation! I am a single mother/full-time student with low income on Disability. Is there anyone willing and able to help my daughter and I reunite?
By wendy

6/25/08 at 7:13 a.m.

Suggest removal

For the last 2 years Judge Del Veccio has resided over my son's divorce and child custody case of his now 4 1/2 year old daughter. His exwife is beautiful and to say the least my sons case was extremely gender bias. My son's lawyer could not believe what was going on in his case. He called Delveccio "a nut case" and said that he was the joke of the Family court system. In the mean time, our lives have been ruined. My son has a court order to see his daughter every weekend, which his ex wife totally ignores. We take the poilce with us but they can do nothing. We file 5.11 (contemptof court) letters - nothing happens. She refuses to let my son see his daughter and there is NOTHING my son can do to make her. There is no one that will help. She only gets a small slap on the wrist when he waits 2-3 MONTHS to see the judge. This judge is an embarrassment to the Family Court system and I would think that after what he has done the City of Las Vegas can not shut their eyes to the pain that he is causing families. I wish all people who lives been ruined by this judge would step up and say something. He is a bad Judge and needs to be replaced with someone who will listen to BOTH sides of the story - not sit looking down blouses and up skirts!